#VeteranOfTheDay Navy Veteran Tony Teravainen

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Navy Veteran Tony Teravainen. Tony served from 1986 to 1995 working as a nuclear planner, repair manager and operator. After medical retirement, Tony now lives with his family in San Diego where he has become the chief executive officer of Support The Enlisted Project (STEP).

Tony experienced firsthand the financial hardship faced by many young service members, Veterans and their families, which inspired Tony to start STEP—a nonprofit helping junior enlisted service members, Veterans and their families address financial hardship. Under Tony’s leadership, STEP has grown from a single employee to an entire organization and has assisted more than 3,000 military and Veteran families.

Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? You’re in luck! VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.

It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much information as you can put together, along with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission.

Graphic by Katherine Wiedeman. Katherine is studying Communication at the University of Louisville.

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Johnn Cave

Johnn is a junior at Saint Marys College of Maryland where he is earning a major in English and a minor in History. He was born and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland and is currently interning at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.